Trail, campground upgrades enhance Ellison Park
Outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy a new trail in Ellison Provincial Park, along with several improvements to the campground and expanded parking.
“Every year, millions of people head to provincial parks to connect with family and friends, and experience the wonders of nature,” said George Heyman, Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy. “Ellison Provincial Park is one of B.C.’s natural treasures. We know people care deeply about provincial parks and want them stewarded effectively. Investing in our parks makes the BC Parks experience even better.”
Located along Okanagan Lake, Ellison Provincial Park spans 220 hectares of forested benchlands above a rocky shoreline of scenic headlands and sheltered coves. The park’s natural attractions, combined with a dry, sunny climate, make it a popular destination for people who enjoy hiking, climbing, swimming, camping, boating and fishing.
To enhance the visitor experience, 30 new parking spaces and a bike pump track have been added to the upper parking lot. In addition, a new, three-kilometre trail has been created for hikers and mountain bikers to explore. The trail, called the Loopy Campers Trail, is a beginner trail connecting the campground to the upper parking lot. The downhill portion of the trail is now open. The uphill section is expected to open in mid-July.
Several upgrades have been made to the campground in recent years, including accessible campsite furniture, new fire rings, water-line improvements, repaved road and accessible furniture at the beach.
“Too often, people miss out on spending time outdoors due to challenges to accessibility and availability,” says Harwinder Sandhu, MLA for Vernon-Monashee. “Ellison Provincial Park is a favourite in Vernon-Monashee for campers, mountain bikers, hikers, beachgoers, and families, including my own. Thanks to funding for Ellison Provincial Park, more people can get out to enjoy what the park has to offer through a new trail, and improvements to the campground and parking that will make this area more welcoming to people.”
The Ellison Provincial Park upgrades cost approximately $635,000 and is part of a $21.5-million investment to expand and enhance opportunities for outdoor recreation throughout B.C. The upgrades include new campsites and trails, and improvements to existing facilities. Many upgrades will also improve accessibility for people who use wheelchairs, strollers or have other accessibility challenges.
To enhance the visitor experience, upgrades have also been made at three other BC Parks: McDonald Creek Provincial Park, Mount Robson Provincial Park, and Lakelse Lake Provincial Park. The estimated cost of all four projects (including Ellison Park) is $2.2 million. More projects are scheduled for completion in the fall.
During the next three years, the BC Parks and Recreation Sites and Trails BC operating and capital budgets, combined will increase by $71 million to support facility and trail maintenance.
Quick Facts:
- B.C.’s provincial parks receive more than 23 million visits each year.
- One of the largest park systems in North America, B.C. has more than 1,000 provincial parks, recreation areas, conservancies, ecological reserves and protected areas covering approximately 14.4% of the provincial land base.
- Since 2017, more than 1,700 campsites have been added to BC Parks and recreation sites.
- New campsites are located in regions with the highest demand: the Lower Mainland, Thompson-Okanagan, Kootenay Rockies and Mount Robson.
Learn More:
For more information about Ellison Park, visit: https://bcparks.ca/ellison-park/
For more information about BC Parks, visit: https://bcparks.ca/